The Resurrection (Easter 2013)
By Ben Fronczek
Want to hear some good news… today we are one more day closer to Heaven.
Now some of you may be thinking, ‘That sounds great… but I’m not ready to go today’
Anyone and everyone who has had a loved one die knows how hard and painful that is. Losing a son or daughter, brother or sister, mom or dad, aunt or uncle, or anyone we are close to is one of the few times that can really break one’s heart. A time of mourning is one of the most painful times in life.
And so for me the most amazing miracles that Jesus performed during His three years of ministry are those times when He raised those who had died back to life. Jesus performed many miracles that we don’t even know about because they all weren’t recorded. But God thought it important to mention when He raised a few individuals back to life after they had died.
In Mark 5 starting in verse 22, we read about a man by the name of Jairus, a leader at a local synagogue who sought out Jesus. When he found Him he humbly threw himself at His feet and he pleaded for Him to help his daughter who was sick and dying. Well on the way to the man’s house they met someone on the road who told them it was too late, his daughter had died.
I can just imagine the sense of loss and anguish in this man’s heart when he heard the news about his little girl. He probably broke down in tears. But Jesus simply tells him not to be afraid, but just believe.
It goes on to say that after he put out of the house all those who were mourning, “He took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”. 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.” Can you just imagine how mom and dad felt. Their grief turned to joy.
Another story is found in Luke 7. Let me read this to you from the NLT “12 A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said.” This is one of the saddest times in life, when you are carrying your loved one to their grave site. Obviously this woman was wreck. She was a widow and this was her only son and so Jesus’ heart goes out to her. It goes on to say…
“14 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.”15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16 Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” 17 And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside.
Words I’m sure could not express that woman’s joy seeing her son rise.
One of the best known stories of Jesus raising someone is the story of Him raising Lazarus.
In John 11 we read about how Lazarus the brother of His dear friends Mary and Martha was sick in needed His help. Unfortunately Lazarus died four days before Jesus arrived. Many Jews had come from Jerusalem to comfort Mary and Martha in their time of loss. When Martha heard that Jesus had finally arrived she went to Him and said in verse 21, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Then Jesus says something amazing to her, He goes on to say, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
After meeting with Mary and He saw her crying along with all those who were there to comfort her and her sister, Jesus Himself got caught up with all the emotions of the moment. He too began to weep. He asked to go to the grave site and He told them to remove the stone blocking the tomb and then… “Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
And once again grief was turned to joy. Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.” And this fact was never before proven more true than in His own death and resurrection.
It is a historical fact that Jesus died on the cross of Calvary. It was confirmed by the Roman soldiers and water and blood that flowed from His side after having a spear trust in His side by them.
His dead body was taken down from the cross and after a quick preparation, He was placed in a tomb which was not only seals shut but also guarded by Roman soldiers. But then we read of His resurrection on the first day of the week. His resurrection was not like those He brought back to life (like Lazarus). Those individuals were resuscitated. Their dead physical body was brought back to life, and those bodies would eventually experience death again.
But Jesus’ resurrection was a resurrection into a new and glorious state; not strictly physical, but glorious and spiritual, powerful and eternal.
The Apostle Paul had much to say about this kind of resurrection in 1 Cor. 15, as well as the importance of Jesus’ resurrection. He says it this way in the NLT, “What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.” “54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
And what part does Jesus play? In 15:20f Paul writes, “20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man.22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come, when He will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father”
Jesus going to the cross and dying was all about God’s love and Jesus dying for our sin, paying the penalty for our sin. But that’s only part of the story, of what took place there. His resurrection insures our resurrection into a glorious eternal heavenly realm. As I just read Paul said in verse 22, “Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.”
And that’s why the resurrection is so important. His resurrection is proof that there is a resurrection waiting for each one of us. And it will be just as glorious as long as we belong to Christ; that is, as long as you are a Christian. Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and the new Lord of your life? Have you done your best to turn form sinful ways and have you allowed Him to remove your past sin in the wates of Baptism? I hope so. If you haven’t think about doing this as soon as possible. Your future depends on what you do in the here and now.
We may still cry when our loved ones pass away because we will miss them. But the hope we have is that if our love ones are Christians, before long we know we will all be together again in glory, in God’s presence, in God’s home with a glorified body along with Jesus. Praise God for the Resurrection of Jesus.
